Class Amphibia

1
Class Jaws Tetrapod Amniote egg Uniform internal temperature Mammary glands
Jawless fishes (Cephalaspido-morphi) No No No No No
Jawed fishes (Osteichthyes) Yes No No No No
Amphibians (Amphibia) Yes Yes No No No
Reptiles (Reptilia) Yes Yes Yes No No
Birds (Aves) Yes Yes Yes Yes No
Mammals (Mammalia) Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
2
Class Amphibia
http//spongebob.ncsa.uiuc.edu/mike
http//www.mybitoftheplanet.com/2002/frogmar_files
/

• Scaleless body
• Smooth or warty skin
• Larvae, adults distinct (exceptions)

http//www.mybitoftheplanet.com/2002/
http//fwie.fw.vt.edu/VHS/
http//www.utexas.edu/depts/tnhc/
http//fwie.fw.vt.edu/VHS
3
Class Amphibia

• Larvae
• Gills
• Herbivore/detritivores, predators
• Aquatic
• A few exceptions (plethodontid salamanders)

• Adults
• Lungs
• Predators
• Aquatic or terrestrial
• A few salamanders retain gills

4
Order Caudata, Family Ambystomatidae(Ambystoma
tigrinum tiger salamander)

• Identification adult
• Tail (Caudata)
• Costal grooves (Ambystomatidae)
• Yellow spots or blotches
• Large (to 21 cm)

http//biodiversity.wku.edu/salamanders/Salamander
_Images
/
Illustration from Christoffel et al. 2001
5
Ambystoma tigrinum tiger salamander

• Identification larva
• External gills
• Legs absent (early) or present (late)

http//www.herpnet.net/Iowa-Herpetology
6
Ambystoma tigrinum tiger salamander

• Habitat
• Adults near/in ponds, or underground
• Larvae ponds
• Food
• Invertebrates, salamanders
• (adults and larvae)

http//www.californiaherps.com/salamanders/
7
Ambystoma tigrinum tiger salamander

• Other
• Egg mass in spring
• Migrations precede breeding

http//www4.ncsu.edu/haddad/tigereggs.jpg
http//www.batraciens.net/illustrations/
8
Order Anura (frogs and toads)

• Smooth or warty skin
• Adult lacks tail (hops)
• Larva with internal gills (legs during
  metamorphosis)

http//spongebob.ncsa.uiuc.edu/mike
http//www.utexas.edu/depts/tnhc/.www/biospeleolog
y
http//www.mybitoftheplanet.com/2002/frogmar_files
/
9
Family Bufonidae(Bufo americanus American toad)
http//spongebob.ncsa.uiuc.edu/mike

• Identification adult
• Paratoid glands
• Warty skin
• Call a long trill

Illustration from Christoffel et al. 2001
10
Bufo americanus American toad

• Identification larva
• Dark color
• Eyes dorsal
• Small (to 2.4 cm)

http//fwie.fw.vt.edu/VHS/
http//www.learner.org/jnorth/images/graphics/
11
Bufo americanus American toad

• Habitat
• Adults - ponds or dry areas
• Larvae - ponds
• Food
• Adults - invertebrates
• Larvae - algivores/detritivores

http//www.herpnet.net/Iowa-Herpetology/
12
Bufo americanus American toad
http//www.uri.edu/cels/nrs/paton/toad/

• Other
• Eggs in strings
• Antipredator defenses - toxin (paratoid glands),
  urinating, puffing (garter snakes)

http//www.visualsunlimited.com/images/watermarked
/301/301530.jpg
13
Order Anura, Family Hylidae(Pseudacris
triseriata western chorus frog)

http//snr.unl.edu/herpneb/images/

• Identification adult
• Stripes (variable, broken)
• Smooth skin
• Small (to 3.9 cm)
• Call finger along comb

http//www.herpjournal.com/
14
Pseudacris triseriata western chorus frog

• Identification larva
• Eyes lateral
• Tail fin rises above body
• Little pigment on fin
• Dorsal tail musculature dark
• To 3.7 cm long

http//www.fs.fed.us/r4/amphibians/images/
Illustration from Conant and Collins 1991
http//www.pwrc.usgs.gov/tadpole/psestr2t.jpg
15
Pseudacris triseriata western chorus frog

• Habitat
• Adults - wetland margins, ditches
• Larvae - ephemeral to permanent wetlands
• Food
• Adults - small invertebrates
• Larvae - algae

http//www.herpnet.net/Iowa-Herpetology/amphibians
16
Pseudacris triseriata western chorus frog

• Other
• Very common, tolerates disturbance
• Early breeder (March)
• Larvae develop quickly (2-2.5 months)

http//www.cortland.edu/herp/keys/images
17
Order Anura, Family Hylidae(Pseudacris crucifer
spring peeper)

• Identification adult
• X on back
• Wide suction cups
• Smooth skin
• To 3.2 cm
• Call birdlike peeps, jingling bells (chorus)

http//www.bio.sdsu.edu/pub/tod/herpetology/anuran
s/
18
Pseudacris crucifer spring peeper

• Identification larva
• Eyes lateral
• Fin may rise above body
• Fin generally clear, musculature unpigmented
• To 3.4 cm

http//gruagach.home.mindspring.com/tadpoles/pseud
acris.crucifer.t.jpg
19
Pseudacris crucifer spring peeper

• Habitat
• Adult - wooded areas, edges low vegetation or on
  ground
• Larvae - wooded wetlands
• Diet
• Adults - invertebrates
• Larvae - algae, detritus

20
Pseudacris crucifer spring peeper
http//www.cortland.edu/herp/keys/images/frogs/pcr
ucilg.jpg

• Other
• Breed April May
• Single egg attached to structure
• Larvae morph 2-3 months
• Central IA is western extent of range

Eggs
http//www.cmnh.org/collections/vertzoo/frogs/fig1
5.gif
21
Order Anura, Family Hylidae(Hyla versicolor and
Hyla chrysoscelis gray treefrog)

• Identification adult
• Gray to green
• White spot below eye
• Inner legs orange
• Warty skin
• Wide suction cups
• To 5.1 cm
• Call a trill (slow to fast)

http//www.duke.edu/cwcook/pix/gtf1378.jpg
22
Hyla versicolor/chrysoscelis gray treefrog

http//www.uri.edu/cels/nrs/paton/LH_treefrog.html

• Identification larva
• Red, tapered tail
• High tail fin
• To 3 cm

http//wwknapp.home.mindspring.com/docs/gray.tfrog
s.html
Illustration from Conant and Collins (1991)
23
Hyla versicolor/chrysoscelis gray treefrog

• Habitat
• Adult - arboreal on ground during breeding
• Larvae - wetlands
• Food
• Adults - invertebrates (grab flying insects from
  air)
• Larvae algae, detritus

http//www.kbs.msu.edu/ACWA/natres/
24
Hyla versicolor/chrysoscelis gray treefrog

• Other
• Breed May-July
• Overwinter under objects (glycerol in blood
  prevents freezing)
• Individuals change color

25
Order Anura, Family Hylidae(Acris crepitans
cricket frog)

• Identification adult
• Somewhat warty
• Triangle often on head
• To 3.8 cm
• Call clicking marbles

http//www.montgomerycountymd.gov/mc/services/dep/
herps/photos/
26
Acris crepitans cricket frog

• Identification larva
• Tail tip usually black
• Tail dorsal musculature with black bands
• To 4.4 cm

http//fwie.fw.vt.edu/VHS/coastal20plain20cricke
t20frog20tadpole.jpg
Illustration from Conant and Collins 1991
27
Acris crepitans cricket frog

• Habitat
• Adults - prefer permanent water bodies
• Larvae - in water near adults
• Food
• Adults - tiny insects
• Larvae - algae

http//www.duke.edu/cwcook/pix/
28
Acris crepitans cricket frog

• Other
• Hop into water, return to water edge
• Breed March-April
• Larvae metamorphose 7 weeks
• Declining in northern states, northern IA

29
Order Anura, Family Ranidae(Rana catesbeiana
bullfrog)

• Identification adult
• Large (to gt 15 cm)
• Green to brown body
• No dorsolateral ridge
• Call rumm

http//frogphotos.home.mindspring.com/photos/bullf
rog1.jpg
Christoffel et al. 2000
30
(No Transcript)
31
Rana catesbeiana bullfrog

• Identification larva
• Greenish, large (to gt 16 cm)
• Black dots

http//fisc.er.usgs.gov/c1258_Dodd/circ1258_plates
_20b.jpg
http//www.samford.edu/schools/artsci/biology/vert
zoo-03s/pages/37.htm
32
Rana catesbeiana bullfrog

• Habitat
• Permanent water bodies (lakes, ponds, rivers)
• Food
• Adults - invertebrates and vertebrates (incl.
  frogs)
• Larvae - macroscopic algae, plants

http//www.batraciens-reptiles.com/rana_catesbeian
a.jpg
33
Rana catesbeiana bullfrog
http//www.hawthornevalleyfarm.org/fep/amphibia/bu
llfrog20tadpole.jpg

• Other
• Breed June-July
• Large egg mass
• Larvae metamorphose in 2 yrs.
• Exotic in central IA threaten native amphibians

34
Order Anura, Family Ranidae(Rana pipiens
northern leopard frog)

• Identification adult
• Spots (rarely unspotted)
• Dorsolateral ridge
• To 9 cm
• Call long snore, grunts

http//www.herpnet.net/Iowa-Herpetology/images/Fro
gs_Toads/
35
Rana pipiens northern leopard frog

• Identification larva
• To 8.5 cm
• Flecks (not dots)

http//fisc.er.usgs.gov/c1258_Dodd/circ1258_plates
_22a.jpg
Illustration from Conant and Collins 1991
36
Rana pipiens northern leopard frog
http//www.herpnet.net/Iowa-Herpetology/

• Habitat
• Permanent waters
• Disperse widely (often far from water)
• Food
• Adults invertebrates
• Larvae algae, plants, detritus

Unspotted form
http//www.denniskalma.com/rana20pipiens.jpg
37
Rana pipiens northern leopard frog

• Other
• Breed March-April
• Spherical/elliptical egg mass
• Larvae metamorphose 3 months
• Absorbs water transcutaneously
• Declining habitat loss (incl. road kills),
  water pollution (chemicals), UV light(?)

http//animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/
http//www.amphibiaweb.org/aw/images/leopardpieter
johnson.jpg